Samuel Ward King

Samuel Ward King (born May 23, 1786 in Johnston , Rhode Island , † January 20, 1851 in Providence , Rhode Island) was an American politician and Governor of the state of Rhode Island from 1839 to 1843 .

Early years and political advancement

Samuel King first studied at Brown University . But he dropped out of this course without a degree. Instead, he studied medicine. During the British-American War of 1812 , he served as a ship's doctor in the US Navy. In the meantime, he became a prisoner of war when his ship, the "Providence", was captured by the British. In addition to his other activities, King was town clerk in the town of Johnston from 1820 to 1843.

Samuel King became a member of the Whig Party . In 1838 he was elected to the Rhode Island Senate. In the gubernatorial elections of 1839, none of the three candidates, including the incumbent William Sprague , won an absolute majority. Since the legislature could not agree on one of the three candidates, they finally agreed on Samuel King as the new governor.

Governor of Rhode Island

King therefore took up his new office on May 2, 1839 only as acting ( acting ) governor. After he was regularly elected in the following years, he was able to remain in office until May 1, 1843. The so-called Dorr rebellion fell during his term of office . Thomas Dorr and his supporters campaigned for an extension of the right to vote to include non-possessing classes. The movement elected its own governor and declared King deposed. The federal government under President John Tyler supported King. This declared martial law in Rhode Island. With the help of the National Guard , he was able to put down the uprising. However, some of the demands of the Dorr movement were incorporated into the constitutional reform of 1843.

Another résumé

In 1843, King decided not to run again and withdrew from politics. He died in 1851. He had fourteen children with his wife Catherine Latham Angell, who died in 1841.

literature

Robert Sobel and John Raimo (Eds.): Biographical Directory of the Governors of the United States, 1789–1978. Volume 4, Meckler Books, Westport, 1978. 4 volumes.

Web links

personal data
SURNAME	King, Samuel Ward
BRIEF DESCRIPTION	American politician
DATE OF BIRTH	May 23, 1786
PLACE OF BIRTH	Johnston , Rhode Island
DATE OF DEATH	January 20, 1851
Place of death	Providence , Rhode Island